Carton cutting guide



Aug. 8, 1967 R. w. CARNEY 3,334,415

CARTON CUTTING GUIDE Filed Dec. 29, 1965 IN VENT OR. 22 42 United States Patent Ohfice 3,334,415 Patented Aug. 8, 1967 3,334,415 CARTON CUTTING GUIDE Richard W. Carney, Rte. 2, Springville, Tenn. 38256 Filed Dec. 29, 1965, Ser. No. 517,367 4 Claims. (Cl. 30-2) My invention is directed toward a carton cutting guide.

It is an object of my invention to provide a new and improved guide for cutting the tops off paper cartons, as for example cartons used for holding milk whereby the topless cartons can be fitted with a special cap and thereafter reused for storing frozen food for home use.

Another object is to provide a new and improved cutting guide of the character indicated which can be adjusted to cut cartons of various sizes.

Still another object is to provide a new and improved cutting guide of the character indicated which can be manufactured easily and inexpensively.

All of the foregoing and still further objects and advantages of my invention will now be explained with reference both to this specification and to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective front view of my cutting guide In use;

FIG. 2 is a perspective rear view of my cutting guide;

FIG. 3 is a side view of the stop member used in my invention with a portion broken away; and

FIG. 4 is a rear end view of my invention.

Referring now to FIGS. 14, there is shown a flat rectangular metal plate having opposed longitudinal edges 12 and 14 and opposed transverse edges 16 and 18. Plate 10 also carries a plurality of key shaped slots 20 arranged in four spaced apart rows and two spaced apart columns. If metal is not desired, any other suitable material may be used.

First and second flanges 22 and 24, each joined at a corresponding longitudinal edge, extend perpendicularly from the plate 10 on the same side thereof and parallel to each other.

A stop member 26, L shaped in cross section, extends transversely between the flanges 22 and 24. Member 26 has one leg 28 extending perpendicularly both to the plate 10 and to the flanges 22 and 24 and another leg 30 which is parallel to the plate. The leg 30 has two raised rivets 32 detachably engageable with the corresponding key slots 20 whereby the stop member 26 can be secured to the plate 10 with leg 28 extending from the same side of the plate as the flanges 22 and 24. The member 26 can be adjustably positioned toward or away from transverse edge 16 by selecting any one of the four rows of key slots 20 for engagement.

A spacer member 34 extends in the longitudinal direction. This member has a U shaped cross section with one leg 36 having a pair of spaced apart raised rivets 38 detachably engageable with corresponding two key shaped slots 40 arranged in one column in flange 22. When these rivets 38 engage slots 40, member 34 is secured both to flange 22 and to plate 10 to decrease the open distance between the flanges by interposing the member 34 and effectively substituting the other leg 42 for flange 22.

Plate 10 adjacent to the transverse edge 18 carries a transverse slot 44 which also extends part way into both flanges 22 and 24.

In use, for a two quart or half gallon milk carton 46, stop member 26 is positioned for the height of the ultimate topless container desired, member 34 is removed, the unit is placed over the side of the carton 46 with member 26 against the bottom thereof and a knife is inserted into slot 44 to cut the top off the carton.

When a conventional quart carton is to be cut, member 34 is secured in the unit, and the cutting process is repeated as above.

While I have described my invention with particular reference to the drawings, my protection is to be limited only by the terms of the claims which follow.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A cutting guide used in severing the top of a carton, comprising:

(a) a rectangular plate having upper and lower flat surfaces and flanges depending from the longitudinal edges of said plate and perpendicular thereto,

(b) a knife slot extending transversely through said plate and adjacent portions of said flanges,

(c) a stop member,

((1) a plurality of slot means on the lower surface of said plate spaced longitudinally from said knife slot and spaced apart longitudinally from each other,

(e) at least one prong fixed to said stop member and detachably engageable with any of said slot means to secure said stop member transversely against the lower surface of said plate between said flanges, and at any of several longitudinally spaced positions from said knife slot corresponding to each of said slot means.

2. The invention according to claim 1 in which each of said slot means comprises a key-shaped slot for each prong.

3. The invention according to claim 1 further comprising an elongated spacer member between said flanges, and means detachably securing said spacer member to one of said flanges to extend parallel to and spaced from said other flange.

4. The invention according to claim 3 in which said detachable securing means comprises longitudinally spaced slots in said one flange and prong means on said spacer member detachably engageable with said flange slots.

References Cited 

1. A CUTTING GUIDE USED IN SERVING THE TOP OF A CARTON, COMPRISING: (A) A RECTANGULAR PLATE HAVING UPPER AND LOWER FLAT SURFACES AND FLANGES DEPENDING FROM THE LONGITUDINAL EDGES OF SAID PLATE AND PERPENDICULAR THERETO, (B) A KNIFE SLOT EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY THROUGH SAID PLATE AND ADJACENT PORTIONS OF SAID FLANGES, (C) A STOP MEMBER, (D) A PLURALITY OF SLOT MEANS ON THE LOWER SURFACE OF SAID PLATE SPACED LONGITUDINALLY FROM SAID KNIFE SLOT AND SPACED LONGITUDINALLY FROM EACH OTHER, (E) AT LEAST ONE PRONG FIXED TO SAID STOP MEMBER AND DETACHABLY ENGAGEABLE WITH ANY OF SAID SLOT MEANS TO SECURE SAID STOP MEMBER TRANSVERSELY AGAINST THE LOWER SURFACE OF SAID PLATE BETWEEN SAID FLANGES, AND AT ANY OF SEVERAL LONGITUDINALLY SPACED POSITIONS FROM SAID KNIFE SLOT CORRESPONDING TO EACH OF SAID SLOT MEANS. 